PHOTOS

Messi to Ronaldo - World's top 10 highest-paid athletes in 2022 - In Pics

Messi was the world's highest-paid athlete over the last year, according to the annual Forbes list released on Wednesday (May 10, 2022) that had the Paris Saint-Germain forward ahead of the NBA's LeBron James and Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo.

Zee Media Bureau|

Updated:May 12, 2022, 06:33 PM IST

1/10

Lionel Messi ($130 M)

Messi earned $130 million, a figure which includes $55 million of endorsements, during the 12-month period ended May 1, 2022, to sit atop the list of the 10 highest-paid athletes a year after finishing second to Irish MMA fighter Conor McGregor.

2/10

Lebron James ($121.1 M)

The NBA superstar featured in a film called 'Space Jam: A New Legacy' and recently moved his talk show, The Shop, from HBO to YouTube. In October, James sold a significant minority stake from a production company pushing his net worth to $850 million.

3/10

Cristiano Ronaldo ($115 M)

Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo faced a lot difficulties this year, whether personal or on field, he was tested emotionally in every one of them. The Portuguese superstar is the most followed person on Instagram and has various businesses like his own Hotel chain, clothing etc etc.

4/10

Neymar ($95 M)

Neymar has a lot of valuable endorsements, including Puma and Red Bull, and Netflix docuseries, Neymar: The Perfect Chaos. The PSG star has a juicy contract with the French club but is also investing in NFTs now.

5/10

Stephen Curry ($92.8M)

The Golden State Warriors star is the highest paid athlete in the NBA this year and after signing a four-year $215 million extension last August. He will earn an amount close to $48 million next season.

6/10

Kevin Durant ($92.2 M)

NBA star Kevin Durant earns $28 million yearly from a Nike deal. Apart from that, he has various deals with Coinbase, NBA Top Shot and Weedmaps.

7/10

Roger Federer ($90.7 M)

The former World No. 1 Roger Federer only played a total of 6 tournaments in the years 2020 and 2021. However, the legend promotes luxury brands like Rolex and Uniqlo. Roger is yet to participate in a tournament this year (2022).

8/10

Canelo Alvarez ($90 M)

Canelo Alvarez earned $40 million or more from his two fights in last May and November. The top drawer Boxer also has a partnership with Hennessy and a taco restaurant in Mexico.

9/10

Tom Brady ($83.9 M)

Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady retired but for less than six weeks this year. After that he was welcome news for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after he his spectacular season in 2021 at the age of 43.

10/10

Giannis Antetokounmpo ($80.9 M)

Giannis Antetokounmpo is the only athlete in his 20s who's on top ten of this year's Forbes list. He's a two-time MVP and has signed a deal worth $228 million (five-year) in December 2020 with the Milwaukee Bucks. Giannis' contract is the biggest NBA contract by total value to date.